


Running

by SongOfMarbule



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongOfMarbule/pseuds/SongOfMarbule
Summary: Prompto's nights have been disturbed by a recurring nightmare for over a month. With Ignis' help, he finally sheds some light on what the cause is.





	Running

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my entry for Promnis Week Day 3! The prompt was "Ignis comforting Prompto from reocurring nightmares". It goes in a direction that you may not expect. ;D

Running.

In his dream, that _same damn dream_ he’d been having every night this last month, he was always running.

Faster and faster until his legs could barely hold his weight. His lungs struggling to take in air, burning as if they had been lined with gas and each breath was a lit match. He would stumble, trip, fall to the ground, his knees hitting the pavement hard enough to shatter bone. But despite the overwhelming feeling of fear and dread that threatened to paralyze him in his steps, he never stopped running.

He would suddenly wake up in the dead of night, shooting straight up in bed like a driven stake in the ground. His heart racing, pounding, his sleep shirt damp with sweat. Damn. It felt real. It always felt _so_ real. And yet, he could never figure out why he was running, or who, or what, he was running from.

Thankfully, Ignis was always there, right at his side whenever he abruptly woke. A gentle hand rubbing his back, arms sliding around his middle as he kissed his hair. “It’s all right, Prompto,” he would say softly in that sweet, comforting tone he’d use. “You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Rinse, repeat. Now the recurring dream had been going on for just over a month, and Prompto was starting to get _really_ tired of those dark circles he’d been rocking under his eyes as a result of all this, tired of his limbs feeling like weighted anchors.

“It’ll stop soon, I’m sure of it,” Ignis said one morning, but his words fell on distracted ears.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be so bad if I could just, y’know, figure out _why_ it kept happening,” Prompto continued rambling on, words muffled around a mouthful of Froot Loops. “Isn’t there always supposed to be a root cause to a nightmare?”

“Sometimes,” Ignis replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “The human brain works in mysterious ways.”

“Helpful,” Prompto grumbled.

Ignis smiled, circling around to Prompto’s side near the kitchen table. He placed an affectionate hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Don’t fret, darling. It will pass, and soon you will be back to your usual near-comatose state of nightly hibernation as if it had never happened at all.”

“Uh huh,” Prompto pouted, unconvinced.

Unfortunately that night, it happened yet again. As he sat there in bed, his memories were fresh, the fear was real, and then he was shaking, trembling, leaning against Ignis as loving arms held him tight.

“That same dream again?” Ignis asked gently.

“Yep,” Prompto sighed, burying his face in Ignis’ chest. “Dammit, I’m just _so_ tired.”

“I’m sorry, Prompto. I truly wish there was a way that I could help you further.” Ignis kissed his hair.

“It’s all right. You are helping, just being here. But it’s gotta be taxing on you too, right? Being woken up all the time.” Prompto felt so guilty. Ignis always had to get up so early for work…

“Never you mind that. That’s where my good friend Ebony comes in,” Ignis said lightly.

Prompto smiled faintly, his eyes falling closed. He could feel his heartbeat finally returning to normal. And then in mere moments, he began to drift off to sleep, but then…

“Dude,” he spoke suddenly, shifting as he lifted his head. “I… I think I remember something.”

“Oh?” Ignis adjusted his posture, listening attentively.

“That time, the dream was slightly different.”

“Do tell.”

“I think at some point, I was able to look over my shoulder. I… think I saw something.”

“Was it your pursuer?” Ignis asked, gently pulling Prompto back down against the mattress with him.

Prompto’s face went for Ignis’ chest again, giving him a nuzzle as he tried to relax. “Yeah. I think? It happened so fast, but now that I really think about it… I think I totally saw it.” He glanced up at Ignis with wide eyes, seeking an answer.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to provide me with more details than that, darling.”

Prompto scrunched his nose. “In my dream, it’s always really dark, but I definitely saw… a figure. A dark figure.”

“I see. And did this figure have any distinguishing features?”

“It’s hard to say. It was… tall.”

“And?”

“It had these, like… weird... long, skinny legs?”

“Are you sure you’re not describing me?” Ignis quipped.

“Hilarious. No, unless you’ve also got a giant bulbous head.”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Oh, and it looked like it was carrying something… a weapon?” Prompto struggled to recall. “No… it was more like… an object. Something normal. Not like an axe or anything.”

“Was it threatening you with it?” Ignis asked.

“Not really? I’ve been running from whatever this thing is, but this time it didn’t really feel like my life was being threatened. Weird, right? It was like it just... wanted something from me.”

Ignis fell quiet as he listened to Prompto, constructing various theories in his mind. “Almost like it was wanting to share something with you?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah!” Prompto exclaimed. “Actually, yeah! Wow. This is… really weird.” He exhaled slowly, then frowned as he watched his tired lover’s face. “So… what does _that_ mean?”

Ignis bit his lip. He’d settled on one theory in particular, but he was almost loathed to share it.

“Well?” Prompto urged.

A sigh, then another pause before Ignis finally offered, “Kenny.”

Prompto stared, eyebrows furrowing. “What?”

“This mysterious dark, lanky figure you’ve been running from. Is it Kenny Crow, the eccentric mascot of the Crow’s Nest?”

Prompto said nothing for a long time.

“Well?” Ignis nudged his partner, worried he’d lost him.

Prompto scrunched his nose again. “I hate this.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Kenny Crow,” Prompto muttered, lost in his thoughts.

“Yes. You know who he is, correct?”

“How could I not? The dude’s freaky, man.”

“Well?” Ignis asked again. “Was I right?”

“I’ve been craving a Jetty’s lately.”

“And?”

Prompto rolled onto his back, a laugh rumbling in his chest. “Oh my _god_.”

Ignis smirked as he propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at Prompto. “So it really was Kenny Crow this whole time? The mystery figure in your dreams?”

“Oh my god,” Prompto repeated, his laugh growing in volume. “I can’t believe it, but yeah. Yeah, it was totally Kenny Crow. Holy _shit_.” He moved a hand over his face, shaking with laughter. “This is just… wow. This is just, so stupid? I can’t even be mad anymore!”

“I do have to admit, it is rather amusing,” Ignis chuckled. “But in your defense, Kenny is rather... disturbing. I’m sure he’s given one or two people nightmares since his creation.”

“Maybe if we go to the Crow’s Nest later, it’ll break the cycle and I’ll finally be able to _sleep_ again!” Prompto crooned. He was elated, relieved that he finally had an answer for his sleepless nights.

“Perhaps. We can certainly give it a try. I wouldn’t mind going for a Kenny’s Original, myself.”

“If the mascot’s there, though, I’m not going in. It, uh, might take me a bit to get over it,” Prompto admitted. He smiled sheepishly up at Ignis, reaching his hands up towards him.

“Understandable, love,” Ignis replied, meeting him halfway for a kiss.

And with this development, Prompto was finally able to rid himself of the recurring dream, and all it took was a single bottle of Jetty’s.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://saturnvalleycoffee.tumblr.com). I've also got a [FFXV sideblog](http://caseofthestolenspecs.tumblr.com), where these short stories are being cross-posted to!


End file.
